The Infection Prevention and Control Team at UofL Hospital developed a program emphasizing continual education, awareness, collaboration, and fun to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) at their facility.Â Their work was recently recognized with a Heroes of Infection Prevention award from APIC.

The team had made some progress in CAUTI prevention, but â€śwe really wanted to hit a tipping point that would enable us to sustain progress,â€ť Sarah Bishop said. This desire led to a facility-wide 2017 CAUTI-reduction goal. The team created a multi-dimensional campaign comprising quality improvement, education initiatives, and creativity to promote reduction of indwelling urinary catheter usage and increase adherence to a nurse-driven removal protocol.Â

The program includes an annual â€śCAUTI-Free Aprilâ€ť, a monthlong campaign during which the team intensifies their focus on CAUTI education. Featuring a â€śMake Voiding Great Againâ€ť theme, the 2017 campaign involved around-the-clock rounding on all hospital units, CAUTI-reduction competitions, and prize drawings recognizing best CAUTI-reduction practices. â€śItâ€™s a fun way to educate and raise awareness where itâ€™s convenient for staff,â€ť Crystal Heishman said. â€śThey would see us, they would laugh, and they would pay attention.â€ťÂ

â€śData showed that our biggest problem was in the ICU, so we really intensified focus in that area,â€ť Leah Oppy said. â€śWe educated on alterative devices and re-educated on the catheter removal process.â€ť

Throughout the campaign, the team emphasized collaboration and relationship-building across departments. â€śYou have to engage the frontline staff and maintain good working relationships to move the process forward,â€ť LaShawn Scott said.Â

Ultimately, the teamâ€™s creativity and passion generated a 34 percent decrease in CAUTI. Continual education, including through nursing orientation and preceptorships, is helping to ensure theyâ€™ve reached their â€śtipping point.â€ť

â€śItâ€™s worked well because all of us really believe in making education fun while positively impacting patient care,â€ť Heishman said.Â